After months of losing and gaining and losing the same 5 pounds, I have finally reached both my 40 pound mark and my 20% weight loss!!! I am SOOOOO thrilled! The even better part is that I recently lifted a forty pound weight at the gym and it was HEAVY!!!! I'm so glad I'm not schlepping those 40 pounds around with me! What a thrill! I think the weight should come off a little easier now that I'm not stressing over reaching those milestones. The same thing happened when I was approaching the 25 pound mark. It took me weeks to get there, but once I did, I was able to lose a little faster after that.
Another exciting little thing that's been going on is my nine-year-old daughter has started to take control of her health too. We've consulted with a nutritionist about her health and she's started tracking what she eats and is taking suggestions for healthier snacks and meals. Generally she's looking to make healthier choices. I'm so proud of this step she's decided to take and I look forward to going on this journey with her!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Power of Air
To think I almost skipped yoga today to stay home and watch television! Today was not the day to skip. I'm so glad I got my lazy butt up and finally went! I had the most amazing practice today and finally have come to realize the power of breathing. You see, (and for those of you who actually know about yoga, please excuse my pathetic explanations) yoga focuses a lot, and I mean, a lot on breathing. There's this special breath that you do (insert Hindi word here) where you take air into your body and expand your stomach area and then when you're exhaling, you push your naval back toward your spine. Welll...turns out that if you maintain your breathing like this for the length of the practice everything becomes a lot easier and the positions are more manageable and it gives you almost superhuman strength! I mean, it was super intense today and so thoroughly and completely invigorating!
Besides fully appreciating the breathing component I continue to stand in awe at the instructor who manages to not only make the classes fun and energizing, but she also somehow makes it so that I feel like I'm engaged in this hour long dance class that allows me to flow so seamlessly from one move to the next. It's like each position goes so effortlessly into the next. Another class I recently took felt more like the positions were independent of one another making it seem sort of stilted and awkward. Today wasn't like that though. Today I felt like a tree swaying its branches in the wind; a lovely dancer with a flowing dress!
Ah...I think I've said enough!
Besides fully appreciating the breathing component I continue to stand in awe at the instructor who manages to not only make the classes fun and energizing, but she also somehow makes it so that I feel like I'm engaged in this hour long dance class that allows me to flow so seamlessly from one move to the next. It's like each position goes so effortlessly into the next. Another class I recently took felt more like the positions were independent of one another making it seem sort of stilted and awkward. Today wasn't like that though. Today I felt like a tree swaying its branches in the wind; a lovely dancer with a flowing dress!
Ah...I think I've said enough!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Aha! And Other Moments of Insight!
I think I've finally figured it out! Today I went to a work session and did some serious running, sprinting, and interval stuff...I think that's what I did anyway, I'm not so in touch with all of this fitness lingo...and it's starting to become clear. I think the weight loss has been stalled because I've been doing activities that are more toning and not so fat burning. The things that I have done that are more fat burning, like running and spinning/cycling, I've not done to the point where I've had to push myself and really get my heart rate up. I've been going through the motions, but not actually making it so that I can't breathe when I'm done. Not that I suggest asphyxiation, but having to stop and catch your breath might be worth something. It's a lot harder too, these exercises. It really requires more will-power to actually force yourself into a position of making it hard to breathe. Kind of goes against my natural instincts of wanting live, but whatever.
On another note, I'm so proud of my Weight Watcher buddies. One of them just made her 5% weight loss (in TWO WEEKS!!!!) and the other, not sure if she's made any milestones, but she's well into the plan and down I think about 13 pounds! AWESOME! I love having other people to talk with about the program and am forever encouraged by their progress and their suggestions.
At the WW meeting this week, we talked about the four pillars (or something like that) about the new WW program. One of them is "treat yourself". Just a word about that...WW and any other program shouldn't be about deprivation, but rather about finding balance in your life. If you can't enjoy a little cookie here or there, or a taste of ice cream then you're setting yourself up for failure. What is key, is that when you do treat yourself, that you eat something that is really worth eating. The other day, I had a little bit of ice cream. I started to eat it and discovered that I wasn't really enjoying it. Instead of forging ahead and finishing what I had served myself, i chose to throw the rest away. It really wasn't worth the points that I was going to have to spend to finish it. The taste was good and got me through wanting to have it, but that was all I needed. Treat yourself in moderation.
On another note, I'm so proud of my Weight Watcher buddies. One of them just made her 5% weight loss (in TWO WEEKS!!!!) and the other, not sure if she's made any milestones, but she's well into the plan and down I think about 13 pounds! AWESOME! I love having other people to talk with about the program and am forever encouraged by their progress and their suggestions.
At the WW meeting this week, we talked about the four pillars (or something like that) about the new WW program. One of them is "treat yourself". Just a word about that...WW and any other program shouldn't be about deprivation, but rather about finding balance in your life. If you can't enjoy a little cookie here or there, or a taste of ice cream then you're setting yourself up for failure. What is key, is that when you do treat yourself, that you eat something that is really worth eating. The other day, I had a little bit of ice cream. I started to eat it and discovered that I wasn't really enjoying it. Instead of forging ahead and finishing what I had served myself, i chose to throw the rest away. It really wasn't worth the points that I was going to have to spend to finish it. The taste was good and got me through wanting to have it, but that was all I needed. Treat yourself in moderation.
Friday, March 4, 2011
No Excuses!
Okay, so I'm taking requests. Today's topic is "no excuses". For a few weeks now, I've been asked to write about making excuses, or rather, not making excuses. Well, I've stopped making excuses and now I'm writing about it! Finally!
As you've been reading, I've been doing this 90 day fitness challenge and haven't really been losing weight. The first week or two I was blaming it on building muscle or retaining water. As the weeks pass and the weight isn't coming off, I've been forced to reevaluate and think that maybe, just maybe, I'm not really putting in all the effort I should with my food choices. The working out has been regular and strenuous, but I think my eating needs to change back to what I had been doing. The excuses of water and muscle need to be forgotten. Getting back to basics is what is called for. The program is simple, you lose weight when you burn more calories than you take in. I must not be burning what I'm putting in!
This week was another sad weigh in. I gained 2 pounds again this week! I figured I hadn't lost, but I really hadn't expected to have gained 2 pounds. What a disappointment! I'm SOOO close to my 40 pounds down, that I can almost taste it (so to speak) and I just can't seem to get there! I'm convinced though, that I'll get there. I've refocused my meals and eating habits and I think this will be the week. I can feel it!
As you've been reading, I've been doing this 90 day fitness challenge and haven't really been losing weight. The first week or two I was blaming it on building muscle or retaining water. As the weeks pass and the weight isn't coming off, I've been forced to reevaluate and think that maybe, just maybe, I'm not really putting in all the effort I should with my food choices. The working out has been regular and strenuous, but I think my eating needs to change back to what I had been doing. The excuses of water and muscle need to be forgotten. Getting back to basics is what is called for. The program is simple, you lose weight when you burn more calories than you take in. I must not be burning what I'm putting in!
This week was another sad weigh in. I gained 2 pounds again this week! I figured I hadn't lost, but I really hadn't expected to have gained 2 pounds. What a disappointment! I'm SOOO close to my 40 pounds down, that I can almost taste it (so to speak) and I just can't seem to get there! I'm convinced though, that I'll get there. I've refocused my meals and eating habits and I think this will be the week. I can feel it!
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